DFW05CA224

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 152 · Tulsa, OK · August 29, 2005

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
August 28, 2005, 21:18 local (Aug 29, 2005, 02:18 UTC)
Place
Tulsa, OK
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N4670BCessna 152
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Night
Status
Completed · report December 20, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20050828018849A
Case key
62353

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. A contributing factor was the dark night conditions.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Hard landingLanding
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Recovery from bounced landing - improperPilot in commandCause
Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding
Nose gear collapsedLanding - roll
Nose overLanding - roll
Terrain condition - softFactor

Analysis

On final approach, for his eighth night landing of the evening, the 264-hour instrument rated private pilot observed that he was "high" for runway 1R (a 4,208 foot by 100 foot asphalt runway). The pilot initiated a forward slip to lose altitude and the airplane momentarily touched down on the runway before becoming airborne again. The pilot attempted to hold the airplane in a flare but it "started going into oscillations." He then attempted to "go around", but approximately five feet above the ground (agl) the airplane stalled and impacted the runway. The nose landing gear collapsed and airplane departed the edge of the runway into soft terrain, nosed over, and came to rest in an inverted position. An examination of the airplane revealed the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and wings sustained structural damage. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane.

Factual narrative

On August 28, 2005, about 2118 central daylight time, a single-engine Cessna 152 airplane, N4670B, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing at the Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport (RVS), near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The instrument rated private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Spartan Aviation Industries, Inc., of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from RVS at approximately 2020.

The 264-hour pilot reported that he was on final approach for his eighth night landing of the evening when he observed that he was "high" for runway 1R (a 4,208 foot by 100 foot asphalt runway). The pilot initiated a forward slip to lose altitude and the airplane momentarily touched down on the runway before becoming airborne again. The pilot attempted to hold the airplane in a flare but it "started going into oscillations." He then attempted to "go around", but approximately five feet above the ground (agl) the airplane stalled and impacted the runway. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane departed the edge of the runway into soft terrain, nosed over, and came to rest in an inverted position.

The pilot further reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who examined the airplane, reported that the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and wings sustained structural damage.

The pilot reported calm winds, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 65 degrees Fahrenheit and a barometric pressure setting of 29.91 inches of Mercury.

Aircraft

Registration
N4670B
Reported as
Cessna 152
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15283574
Airframe hours
18,511
Engine
Lycoming O-235, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Spartan Aviation Industries Incorporated
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility
Last inspection
100 hour · July 1, 2005 · 99 hours before
Departed
RVS · Tulsa, OK
Destination
RVS · Tulsa, OK
Airport
RVS · Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Apt, runway 1R, 4,208 × 100 ft, asphalt

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
22
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2
Last flight review
July 1, 2005
Seat
Left
Flight hours
264 total · 98 in this make and model · 97 as pilot in command · 177 in the last 90 days · 81 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Night
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
86 °F, dew point 70 °F
Altimeter
29.90 inHg

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.